This invention relates to protective pads, and in particular to protective pads that are adapted for use in athletic equipment such as football pants and shoulder pads.
Various types of protective pads have been developed to protect an athlete's body during participation in sports, and particularly in contact sports such as football and hockey. Some types of these protective pads include rigid plates to deflect impacts and to shield the underlying body parts. Others of these protective pads include resilient bodies to absorb the energy from impacts. In the design of these protective pads there are two primary, and often conflicting, interests: the provision of a pad that adequately protects the athlete and the provision of a pad that does not interfere with the athlete's movement or performance.